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European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman

In the sequel to the critically acclaimed The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter, Mary Jekyll and the rest of the daughters of literature’s mad scientists embark on a madcap adventure across Europe to rescue another monstrous girl and stop the Alchemical Society’s nefarious plans once and for all.

Mary Jekyll’s life has been peaceful since she helped Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson solve the Whitechapel Murders. Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherine Moreau, Justine Frankenstein, and Mary’s sister Diana Hyde have settled into the Jekyll household in London, and although they sometimes quarrel, the members of the Athena Club get along as well as any five young women with very different personalities. At least they can always rely on Mrs. Poole.

But when Mary receives a telegram that Lucinda Van Helsing has been kidnapped, the Athena Club must travel to the Austro-Hungarian Empire to rescue yet another young woman who has been subjected to horrific experimentation. Where is Lucinda, and what has Professor Van Helsing been doing to his daughter? Can Mary, Diana, Beatrice, and Justine reach her in time?

Racing against the clock to save Lucinda from certain doom, the Athena Club embarks on a madcap journey across Europe. From Paris to Vienna to Budapest, Mary and her friends must make new allies, face old enemies, and finally confront the fearsome, secretive Alchemical Society. It’s time for these monstrous gentlewomen to overcome the past and create their own destinies.

“Theodora Goss' splendid debut novel is a whipsmart look at the truths hiding in the stories - Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein, and others - that you might think you know. Full of bravery, adventures, monsters, and sisters, The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter is a rich delight. I loved it, and I can't wait to read the next book.”

– Kat Howard, author of ROSES AND ROT, on THE STRANGE CASE OF THE ALCHEMIST'S DAUGHTER

"Theodora Goss' The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter provides a new and altogether mesmerizing revelation for fans of Watson & Holmes, Van Helsing, Jeckyll & Hyde, and Victor Frankenstein: until now, you've only heard half the story. Goss' deft, poetic interweaving of edge-of-the-seat adventure with the artful voices of her characters creates a matryoshka doll of hidden Gothic fiction in the best sense. The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter proves the point that behind every evil genius you'll find a team of fantastic women working to set things right.

As if Charlie's Angels, as written by Mary Shelley, took over the Bluestocking Society, with bonus well-mannered explosions. An utterly delightful, transformative read."

– Fran Wilde, award-winning author of Updraft, Cloudbound, and Horizon on THE STRANGE CASE OF THE ALCHEMIST'S DAUGHTER

* "A tour de force of reclaiming the narrative, executed with impressive wit and insight."

– Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW, on THE STRANGE CASE OF THE ALCHEMIST'S DAUGHTER

"A swiftly paced, immaculately plotted mystery full of winning characters you always thought you knew, as well as ones you would never have imagined."

– NPR on THE STRANGE CASE OF THE ALCHEMIST'S DAUGHTER

"If you’re looking for adventure, kick-ass ladies, a good mystery, and a touch of the monstrous, look no further—The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter is the brainy, gleefully madcap literary mashup of your dreams."

" Like a literary magpie, Goss snaps up some of the shiniest bits of Victorian popular culture, but she makes them her own, seeing the possibilities beyond the efforts of their original creators and constructing an intelligent and engrossing 21st-century adventure."

– The Portland Press Herald on THE STRANGE CASE OF THE ALCHEMIST'S DAUGHTER

"Goss skillfully balances the revisionist feminist themes with a crackling conspiracy adventure and a colorful portrait of Victorian London."

– The Chicago Tribune on THE STRANGE CASE OF THE ALCHEMIST'S DAUGHTER

"They are just as much fun as their fictional fathers, and like the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, their talents play off against one other, anchored by Mary, the most normal of them: prudent, thrifty, genteel, her father’s revolver loaded and ready."

– The Wall Street Journal on THE STRANGE CASE OF THE ALCHEMIST'S DAUGHTER

"Goss upends fantasy tropes to bring to life characters who would have been ignored in the period works that inspired them, and the result is a fantastic, gripping read that feels true to the spirit of the original works, but updated with a modern spin for the 21st century reader.”

– The Verge on THE STRANGE CASE OF THE ALCHEMIST'S DAUGHTER

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Reading Group Guide

A Reading Group Guide to

European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman

By Theodora Goss

About the Book

Mary Jekyll and members of the Athena Club concluded their investigation into a series of murders only to have another case arrive in the form of a letter from Mary’s former governess, Mina Murray. Enclosed is a desperate plea from Lucinda Van Helsing, who is the subject of her father’s experiments and is left with no protection when her mother is committed to an asylum. Knowing that Abraham Van Helsing is a member of the Alchemical Society, the Athena Club make plans to travel to Vienna and rescue Lucinda. Back in London, Catherine and Beatrice learn that Seward, Prendick, and their like-minded compatriots are plotting to take control of the Alchemical Society at the annual meeting in Budapest. Faced with kidnappings, spies, undead enemies, unusual appetites, indifferent bureaucracy, and their own dark pasts, the two groups race toward Budapest and the fateful meeting of the Alchemical Society. Can this group of “monstrous gentlewomen” keep the scientific community from being taken over by madmen?

Discussion Questions

1. Catherine originally chooses to begin the book from Lucinda’s point of view, though she is soon influenced by other members’ protests. Why do you think Catherine’s original instinct is to start with Lucinda? Do you agree with Just
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About the Author

Theodora Goss is the World Fantasy Award–winning author of many publications, including the short story collection In the Forest of Forgetting (2006); Interfictions (2007), a short story anthology coedited with Delia Sherman; Voices from Fairyland (2008), a poetry anthology with critical essays and a selection of her own poems; The Thorn and the Blossom (2012), a novella in a two-sided accordion format; and the poetry collection Songs for Ophelia (2014); and the novels, The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter (2017) and European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman (2018). She has been a finalist for the Nebula, Locus, Crawford, Seiun, and Mythopoeic Awards, as well as on the Tiptree Award Honor List, and her work has been translated into eleven languages. She teaches literature and writing at Boston University and in the Stonecoast MFA Program. Visit her at TheodoraGoss.com.